


Are You Watching?

by Iamprongsie



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Gen, I'm sure the galaxy would have been better off if Anakin learnt vaapad, Knighting, Sparring, au where mace trained anakin, sorry obi-wan you're still my favourite but dksjfakldjf;dkljfklf boi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:26:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27859045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iamprongsie/pseuds/Iamprongsie
Summary: “Master within the Order is always a term of respect,” Mace had said, reassuring the scared kid he used to be. “It is never a term to be forced. I will not force you to use it.”
Relationships: Anakin Skywalker & Mace Windu
Comments: 8
Kudos: 180





	Are You Watching?

He’s heard it all, over the years. Too fearful, too angry, too hard to train. 

Yoda’s still mad Mace even _thought_ about training Anakin, let alone actually trained him. 

Their saber’s swing and clash, Mace’s purple clashing with Anakin’s blue. The lights in the training hall are off. Only the glow of the Coruscant skyline and their sabers light the room, sparking off each other and painting weird shadows across the walls. Despite the late hour, the room is full of other Jedi, watching the best swordsman in the Order wipe the floor with his Padawan. 

Or so they think. In the gloom Anakin can barely see his master’s face - just the barest outline of his head, his teeth shining in the dark. Anakin’s paler, and he wears his emotions on his face. He has to be careful not to telegraph his next moves too easily. 

_You know I can guess what you’re going to do?_ Mace says across their bond, parrying Anakin’s latest blow and almost nicking the hilt of his saber again. 

_You know where to shove it,_ Anakin sends back good naturedly, grinning at his master. 

There was a time, long ago, when Anakin couldn’t bear to let that word pass his lips. Qui-Gon had _promised_ that he’d never have to call anyone that again, and after taking him as a padawan, Mace had taken him aside and told him the same. Anakin had feared joining the Jedi would bring the use of that title back, but Mace had been firm. “Master within the Order is always a term of respect,” he had said, reassuring the scared kid he used to be. “It is never a term to be forced. I will not force you to use it.”

Mace goes for a stab and slash; Anakin ducks, lets the swipe pass over his head. Vaapad is all about managing your fears and the threat of the dark side, leashing it for the Light to use. There’s been many late night spars like this, Mace helping him to work out all his anger and confusion. The time he found out his mother was almost injured, the first time he held a saber after losing his hand, the many many sleepless nights through his padawanship. Mace had been wary at the start, wary of Anakin’s raw power and his apparent inability to harness it. But they learnt, and every day the dragon in Anakin’s heart is quelled. His fears don’t control him anymore - he is the master of them. 

The crowd watches with bated breath - these two are famous for their dramatic duels. The fact they both prefer to practice in the dark helps - blue and purple are a particularly dramatic combination. The sparks fly around the room, illuminating their spectators. Anakin can just barely pick out Yoda and the rest of the council in the room. 

_Are you watching?_ Anakin thinks as he executes a flip, throwing his saber arm out to deflect Mace’s latest slash. 

_Are you watching?_ \- Mace darts at his leg, and Anakin guesses the feign and blocks the blow that, had they not powered down their sabers, would have killed him. It’s no holds barred tonight, no quarter, just the two of them working out their anger and fear and creating an amazing goddamn show. 

_Are you watching?_ Anakin takes a deep breath, calls up the dragon in his chest, and wades into battle. Their sabers clash fast, one two three, and their crowd is silent. Anakin ducks another killing blow and runs past Mace, propelling himself up the wall and flipping himself over, making a slash at Mace’s shoulder that he catches, purple catching on blue and sending sparks flying. Mace turns and parries while Anakin’s still in the air - Anakin has to execute an awkward landing to avoid the strike. The smell of singed hair hits his nose, and he plasters a grim grin on his face. 

_That’s how you’re playing it?_ Anakin asks, dodging another strike. 

Mace is unapologetic. _You started it,_ he sends back. 

_Are you watching?_ The dragon in Anakin’s heart roars. He stokes the flame, pulling his anger out and passing it through the familiar blue blade. All his anger, all his rage, his frustration at this new war, the fact he hasn’t been knighted, the way he feels like Mace still doesn’t take him seriously enough, the way the council is still wary of him. All of that flows through him, through his blade, and out into the fight. Vaapad is all about mastering the Dark, Mace had said, one night when Anakin was twelve and couldn’t sleep because Coruscant was still too cold. It’s treading a fine line - letting the Dark flow through you, not letting it control you. 

_Are you watching?_ Anakin pulls all his anger through his blade, and charges. Mace is taken by surprise, can barely block Anakin’s precisely controlled slash. It’s quick and bright, both of them moving faster than ever. Block, parry, strike - after eight years of saber training, both of them are deeply in tune with the other’s movements. 

_Are you watching?_ There’s a gap in Mace’s defence - he’s favouring his right shoulder, which had taken a hit at Geonosis. Anakin’s not above exploiting an opponent’s weaknesses; Dooku certainly hadn’t, and Dooku wasn’t fucking around with practice beams. Anakin’s eyes narrow. Is Mace using it as a way to get to him, or is it a genuine gap? Anakin tentatively strikes towards Mace’s left: he still favours his right shoulder. It’s a genuine gap. 

_Are you watching?_ Anakin parries to Mace’s right, hoping to exploit that crack and take his master down. Mace tries to redirect the blow, let it fade out on the side of his stomach. Anakin pushes, blocks Mace’s saber. Mace tries another strike; Anakin bears down, pushing and pushing. Mace tries one last strike. Anakin pulls the blade off course with the Force, settling his saber at his master’s throat. Just like he had done to Fett in the arena, before letting the clones take him away. 

“Do you yield?” Anakin says evenly, the first words he’s said all night since Mace came down and found him taking out his anger on a training dummy. 

Mace takes a long look at him, shares a glance with the council, and takes a step back. 

“I yield, Knight Skywalker.”

What?

“What?” he says, flicking his saber off. “Was this my trial?”

Mace smiles and spreads his hands. “It was your final one - we decided Geonosis was enough of a trial.” 

The crowd cheers - the council stand there, silent and impassive. 

Anakin kneels.

"Rise, Knight Skywalker," Mace says.

**Author's Note:**

> this au grabbed me by the claws because I mentioned it to the same friend that enabled last week's obianidala fic, and this is what happened whoops (ty tho, you know who you are <3)


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